Banana and Chocolate Cake for a windy day...

I've got a million pictures like this. When I try and stretch out my arm and take our picture and end up cutting one or both of us out. But they make me laugh. They remind me of my other half talking through his smile telling me I've only got half the photo and me maintaining that "no I've definately got us both in this time."

Another thing I am not good at is making plans fit the weather. We decided early on to go for a walk. The old Gwithian/Marazion debate started and the other half won. But the wind picked up and the tide rolled in and the windsurfers that were making the most of the wind started to pack up and come in. Avoiding the thousands of tourists huddled behind wind breaks in shorts and t shirts as locals walked the coast in jeans and jumpers.

We walked over towards Godrevy through the dunes where the last few bits of living sea holly were searching for sun among the coffee grey skeletons of dead plants. As we walked back to the car park the wind whipped up mouthfuls of sand, scattering a sprinkle in our eyes for good measure.

The other half was moaning about going rowing and in the car ride home I tried to think about what to cook him for when he got home. We had three tired looking bananas that were way beyond packed lunches and I've thrown too many of them away in the last few months. Hidden among the potatos in the bottom of the larder cupboard was a bar of cooking chocolate left over from another windy day cookery session so I decided to make banana and chocolate crumble cake. A cake stodgy and gooey on the bottom with a crumbly dry topping that makes you feel like you are eating cake and pudding all at once......

And it hit the spot....with leftovers heading to work tomorrow....

Banana and Chocolate Crumble Cake (makes 12 squares)

3 eggs

Self Raising Flour

Caster Sugar

Butter

2 tbsp cocoa

4oz Chocolate

3 bananas

1 tsp vanilla essence

7oz plain flour

1oz oats

4oz butter

4oz brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 180'c. Grease and line a rectangle tray. Weigh the eggs in their shells. Set aside. Weight exactly the same amount of butter and then the same amount of sugar and cream together. Add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly. Weigh the exact same amount of self raising flour and fold in. Add the cocoa, vanilla, mashed bananas and chopped up chocolate. (Make the chocolate chunks big).

Put the mix in the lined tray. Put the flour and brown sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle on top of the cake. (Only half the crumble mix is needed.....I always freeze the rest). Pop in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Eat warm, with clotted cream.